A Tale of Two Traitors
by Griffin kid
Summary: Omi's Pov. Just as soon as he redeems himself from the Heylin, Raimundo disappears. Later Omi is trapped within Chase's clutch. He believes he has doomed the world and himself to misery, but then finds clarity in a curious dream about Raimundo. Not Slash.
1. Chapter 1

The title should be clear in the next chapter, but whether I continue this or not with be decided by the readers. This is in Omi's point of view, so I'm sorry if it's more than a little out of character. Enjoy.

"You don't belong on the Heylin side!"

I listened for any sort of response from Raimundo, but even if he did reply, the rumbling stomps of the rock creatures drowned out any sound other than our pleads for help directed to the person who now quite literally held the fate of the world in his hands. My head and hands dropped from the bars enclosing the belly of the creature that held me captive and hung limply down. Even if he did hear us, would our words manage to reach his soul and cause the kind, good part of him to stir up from the depths of darkness? Would they awaken the voice in the back of his mind that told him he wasn't standing where he was meant to be? Or did they simply fall to the ground when turned away by his temporarily deaf ears as did Master Fung's requests for completed chores? Did he truly believe the lies of how he was never adequate to be a xiaolin warrior? Was he too blinded by greed and anger to see everything he had loved destroyed before him?

Suddenly light began spilling across the floor and I jerked my head up. From somewhere behind us, light seemed to be rushing in and filling the room like water, banishing the darkness like the liquid would air. The rock creatures halted so abruptly, the unexpected lack of movement threw both Jack Spicer and me against the bars. A dreadful screech pierced the air, raising the hairs on the back of my neck and rousing a quiet shriek from Jack Spicer.

"What are you doing?"

I recognized the voice as Wuya's and wondered what she was doing so close to the source of all this light and why she sounded so horrified. I was then struck with the realization that Raimundo must have somehow opened the box. My body filled with tremendous delight. No matter what the outcome, I now knew, if not the world, Raimundo truly did care for us. I hopped about the rock monster's stomach to see if I could at least get a glimpse of what was happening behind us at a different angle, but to no avail.

Wuya screeched again, but this time her voice sound much raspier and full of hatred, very similar to what she sounded like in her ghost form. "Dashi!"

Then a joyous lighthearted voice rang throughout the room, a voice that I recognized immediately and had never expected to hear again after my fifteen hundred year trip from the past. "Whoa, Wuya! The years have not been kind."

The light abruptly increased to such a blinding level that I was suddenly grateful for the rock wall shielding our eyes, for although it helped greatly, the light was still incredibly harsh. It still seemed that way in spite of my eyelids being tightly shut against it.

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" As the unknown event behind us took place, Wuya let out one final scream so horrible and piercing, that even with my hands clamped over my ears, I felt my eardrums would shatter. At last she stopped and I was certain that she was imprisoned within the puzzle box. I let my arms drop and waited for the light to fade away before I opened my eyes. Unexpectedly the light seemed to lurch downward and once again my hands clapped over my ears to block out Wuya's _second_ final scream, somehow more hideous than the last. When it finally ended I held my hands to my ears just a few seconds more just to be sure it was over. Then the light died away so quickly that my eyes snapped open and my arms came down in surprise. This turned out to be unfortunate for my eyes, because just then the rock creature cracked and disintegrated to dust.

When I had rubbed the filth from my eyes, I was greeted with the sight of Kimiko, Clay, and Dojo standing in the piles of powder and rubble which used to be their cages. They were somewhat shaken and coated in rock dust, but seemingly unharmed. Then I turned and looked up the stairs before us to see Raimundo, still holding the now closed puzzle box, which I assumed was Wuya's new containment. His eyes were wide and surprised, but his smile was cheerful and genuine, holding no malice at all. He looked relieved to see us unhurt and gave us all a hand gesture I remembered to be called a 'thumbs up'. I recalled it meant: good, great, everything was fine. I nodded at him eagerly in agreement and returned the gesture. My smile was so wide I could almost feel the corners of my mouth touching my ears. I did not think my heart could contain my happiness of seeing Raimundo back to his former friendly self.

I would always remember that moment because although I didn't know it at the then, it would be the last time in a long while that I would ever see my mischievous friend again.

Without warning the palace began shaking violently. I managed to keep my balance, but Raimundo was knocked onto his backside. Large nuggets of stone tumbled from the ceiling. Like the rock monsters, without Wuya's magic the palace had no structure.

"Let's get a move-on, gang!" Clay shouted.

We did not need to be told twice. We all took off faster than a- well, I'm sure Clay had an appropriate simile although he did not voice it. All of a sudden the ground crumbled and gave way beneath us and we were falling down a fiery red abyss. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes as wind rushed pass and my skin became hot as we neared the bottom of the void. Just I felt as though the temperature would melt my flesh clean off my bones, our fall was ended when our bodies met with something large, soft, slick with moisture, and scaly. Almost as soon as we were on, Dojo soared up out of the fissure, dodging boulders as he went, the air becoming considerably cooler as he did so. As we went up the deep hole, it caught my eye that Jack Spicer had turned on his heli-pack and was hovering near the top. Dojo was going too fast for him to get on, but as we passed him, I looked back and saw that Jack Spicer had grabbed onto Dojo's tail and was holding on tightly for dear life.

"Hold on here!" Dojo yelled abruptly. "That's only three oofs and a tailgater! Who's missing?"

My eyes fell to Kimiko, who was in her usual spot. Then we looked behind her and were startled to meet Clay's lake blue eyes instead of the pair of dark forest green we were used to seeing first. My muscles tensed with dread. Clay paled and Kimiko screamed as we looked upon the empty spot where most of the cleverly-spoken complaints had originated. "Raimundo!"

But Dojo could no longer wait. The downfall of rock was much faster now. He dashed as quickly as he could in what I hoped was the direction of the nearest opening.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kimiko screamed. "We can't leave without Rai!"

My head snapped down to Wuya's throne area, where I recalled seeing Raimundo last. I only had enough time to catch a glimpse, but it was long enough to see that the places that were not already smashed with boulders were bare.

My mind raced with a thousand possibilities. Did he run to seek shelter? Perhaps frozen in terror, was he unable to rise after his fall and was trapped by a falling stone? In attempt to follow us out on foot, did he too plummet down the abyss and miss Dojo's back? Was it likely that he managed to escape? Did he have the Golden Tiger Claws somewhere nearby?

A most large blasting sound startled me from my thoughts. Everything was momentarily lost in a massive explosion of black and bright green. My grip on Dojo's scales strengthened considerably and I held myself as closely to his undulating body as I could. I choked as my lungs filled with mineral powder and what I could only guess were after-magic gases.

Finally we emerged from the ghastly cloud and into the cool fresh night air. Sight had returned to me, so I looked back and was thankful to see Kimiko, Jack, and Clay had managed to keep their hold on Dojo. I also saw that we were not the only thing that emerged from the cloud, which had now cleared. A neon-green ring of light rippled from the wreckage of the palace and as it grew over the land, everything in its path was restored back to the way it was before the Rein of Wuya. Light returned to the sky. The ring of green light got so large it traveled out of our sight, but we knew it wouldn't stop until it covered the rest of the earth. Soon it would be as if Wuya have never ruled the world.

Then Dojo made, what Kimiko would call, a C-turn and dove for the palace ruins. We were all very quiet on the way back, the unspoken fear hanging overhead like a strong paralyzing odor. I leaned over to the side as far as I could without falling off Dojo and scanned the remaining burnt clearing for some movement of a slender brown-haired boy. We were almost four feet away from landing when Kimiko leapt from Dojo, hit the ground like a cat, and bolted in no particular direction, calling out Raimundo's name. Once we had landed, Clay slid down and was about to go after her, but I grabbed his arm. "Let us begin to look where the stairs used to be. That was where we saw him last."

After Dojo shrunk and perched himself on Clay's shoulder, we raced to the location of the no longer existing staircase and hastily started shuffling aside the rocks, looking for any trace at all of our former enemy. Kimiko noticed what we were doing and sprinted toward us to assist in the search method. As I scrambled trying to remove the rock, my head jerked back to where we had landed and I froze when I saw Jack had gotten to his feet, deactivated his heli-bot, and was now watching us in our frantic investigation. I caught his eye and our gazes locked. I'm not sure what emotion my face was displaying at that time as many seemed to be coursing through my veins, but after a moment's hesitation he ran over and joined us in the search. His frail build could only feebly roll aside the smaller boulders, but still, he was helping and as small as it was, it brought a spark of hope to me as I turned back to the rock.

It seemed as though in exchange for the world being spared Wuya's ten thousand years of darkness we were cursed with ten thousand years of fear and worry for our friend's well-being, even though in reality we may have only looked for an hour or two. I am aware that this was terribly unwarriorlike of me, but through the time searching through the rubble, given a choice I would have gladly picked the darkness.

Then behind me I heard a "Oh, whoa." in a voice so soft that I probably never would have heard it had the speaker not have been standing just a little ways behind me. When I turned around to ask what the matter was, I was caught completely off guard to see the back of a tall thin dark figure standing in front of a small gap between two of the boulders. The voice belonged to Jack Spicer. His recent tone of voice was both slightly startled and somewhat sympathetic, the latter I could not imagine he was capable of showing. What could have possibly triggered such an emotion from such a black-hearted villain?

"Did you find something?" I did not mean for my voice to be so loud, but it was raised enough for both Kimiko and Clay to hear. They immediately stopped what they were doing and ran over to us. Jack Spicer started at my voice and whirled around, eyes darting between me and my friends, panic and discomfort written on his face as clearly as on a scroll. When he answered, his voice was piercing and high. "Um, no! No, nothing, not a thing! What would make you thing I had found something? Um I mean, not that I did! I – I mean, that is, nothing at all to do with what we're actually look-"

Kimiko, her face distorted with rage, snarled. This prompted an end to Jack's babbling, which did so with a short yelp. She stomped over to him and roughly shoved him away from the opening. "Quit whining, you stupid-"

Her voice abruptly ceased when she turned to the gap and her entire body went most still. Clay stepped behind her and looking over her. I could not see his face and he said nothing. Dojo however gasped and murmured the same words Jack Spicer had, then buried his head into Clay's shoulder. I was unable to see the space with my friends in the way and could not see around them.

Suddenly Kimiko screamed. "RAIMUNDO!" Then she tore past Clay and into the rubble, screaming for Raimundo to come out, using numerous words I could only assume were slang terms I hadn't heard of yet. I do not think I had ever heard her so upset. I did not need my tiger instincts to tell me that something was terribly wrong, but I did not know what. I looked up at the back of Clay's head. "Clay, what is it?"

He didn't reply, but very slowly he brought a hand up to his head, gripped the brim of his hat, pulled it off his head, and held it to his chest. Then he stepped back and whispered something I couldn't hear. "Clay?"

I was aware that I was moving toward him, but my legs seemed to be moving on their own accord as my mind did not seem to be in proper working order. When I stopped beside him, I saw tears running down his face. Even then, I could not think of a reason for my usually steady, sensible companion to be crying. Despite all the obvious signs it never occurred to me to think that the worst had happened. I finally looked down at the gap. I was looking right at it, and I still did not comprehend what it meant. Bright dark red shimmering spikes poked out from beneath a few small rocks, but there was something unusual about their sheen that I could not place my thumb upon. I got down on my knees to get a better look. The shapes of the spikes were most familiar. I reached out to touch them.

But when I made contact with the spikes, my fingers slipped on the smooth, moist, sticky, and oddly warm object. My hand came away from it covered in the same color as the object. So the sheen was there by wetness. I felt the new substance on my skin between my fingers. It was not unlike water, but it seemed thicker somehow. It also had a sickly sweet smell. It was most curious, but I did not see what this had to do with Raimundo. Then I noticed that the areas on the object where I had touched it were a lighter color. A color that was almost . . . . I used the heel of my hand, which was still unsoiled by the first touch, to wipe away the red coating the surface of the object. And sure enough, gold was revealed. I remembered where I had seen these spikes before. It took a moment for me to piece everything together and to grasp full understanding of the event; the compassion in Jack Spicer's voice, Kimiko's loss of control, Clay's solemn tears, and finally the finding and condition of the Golden Tiger Claws; the only shen-gong-wu that could have provided Raimundo with salvation in the disaster that took place just earlier today. I had never seen blood before, but I had heard a description of it that quite accurately matched what was on my hand and I knew it was one of the most crucial essentials of the body.

I needed a little time for the complete impact of the situation to sink in. I could never describe the feeling that overtook my body if I lived fifteen-hundred years. Then my body became overwhelmed with the sensation seemingly without warning and I felt I would burst. I threw my hands over my face and let the wrenching sobs come. Yes, I would have picked ten-thousand years of darkness without hesitation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There can be no funeral if there is no body. We could not summon the strength nor the courage to continue looking and the elder monks could find nothing. But we agreed that no matter where or what the outcome of the remains, and regardless of the mistakes he had made, Raimundo deserved a proper farewell. Kimiko suggested that we make his room into a memorial and say our good-byes there. We asked Master Fung if it was alright and he simply replied that if we must, he saw no harm in it but it must not interfere with our duties and training. He was rather stiff about the concern of Raimundo. Kimiko and Clay probably thought that he was being most insensitive, but Dojo and I knew that he just had no proper reaction to give. We knew Master Fung was most sorrowful for losing Raimundo, but he was also still most angry at him for betraying the temple for riches and glory. Yes, Raimundo had fixed his error and paid for it with his life, but that did not change the fact that he made the error in the first place. I think you had to be there to see him at the end in order to see that he was a good person through and through.

Kimiko asked Master Fung what we would tell Raimundo's family. At this Master Fung froze. He did not answer at first, and then told us that we had no means of contacting any of Raimundo's relatives and left it at that. We searched his belongings, but Raimundo had no cell phone, no letters, and no trace of an address or even a hometown. He had mentioned several times his adoration of the city Rio de Janeiro, but that did not necessarily mean that he lived there. The only ties to home we found that he had brought to the temple with him were photos, which there seemed to be no end of, of children, teens, and young adults who we assumed were his family and friends. It surprised and saddened us that in all the time we had known each other, none of us had once bothered to ask Raimundo about his life before the temple. Kimiko always spoke fondly of her home, family, and friends, and we had all visited Clay's home, and Kimiko, Raimundo, and Clay had lived in mine. But the only thing we were sure of about Raimundo's home was that it was located somewhere in the continent of Brazil. We did not even have a last name and now we may never learn anything of Raimundo's past. It pained me to think that perhaps if we did ask him about it, it would have helped us to understand him better and then none of this would have happened.

I felt uneasy about disturbing the original state of Raimundo's room, but Kimiko and Clay assured me that looking through a person's things was the customary thing to do after a death. When we had finished, we tried to restore it to the way it was before. I never liked it in its somewhat messy state, but now it didn't seem right for it to be otherwise. We set up some of his possessions and pictures of him with the unknown individuals on his mat, along with a miniature carving Clay made of the sword of the storm, some pictures of him and us, and his monk robes. Dojo found two candles for us to place on each side of the mat. Once he lit them, he slithered out of the room to us, and waited. Now was the time to say something in memory of Raimundo. But no one moved. There was a lengthily silence as we each waited for one another to draw up the courage to speak of this tender matter. Finally Dojo cleared his throat and said to us "You know guys, it's been a long and hard couple of days. We're all still a bit . . . . well you know. Anyway, there's no hurry in this. We don't have to do this today."

Clay gave a relieved smiled and nodded in agreement. Kimiko visibly relaxed. "I think that's a great idea."

But I felt that there had to be something now. "May we at least have a moment of silence in honoring memory of him?"

Everyone nodded, and then lowered their heads. The hush allowed memories of the dragon as wild and carefree as his element to spin through my mind, making the quiet almost torturous, yet also pleasant in an odd way, like being tickled to the brink of death.

We all jumped as the silence was broken by a puny cough from behind us and turned to see a most sheepish looking Jack Spicer. Kimiko clenched her fists and started towards him. He appeared most frightened as any sane person would when they were the current target for Kimiko's wrath, but strangely he did not scream or try to escape. When Kimiko was in front of him, she yelled right into his face "You've got some nerve trying to steal our wu at a time like this!" and then grabbed the front of his coat.

He flinched at her touch, but opened his mouth. "Actually, I was wondering if . . . . if maybe I could say something?"

"No excuse is gonna change what's coming to you." Kimiko growled as she raised her fist.

"No, I mean-" Then he shyly pointed to the memorial. "Could I say something?"

I do not believe anyone was expecting that. Kimiko was so stunned she let go of him and dropped her fist. Jack Spicer looked most uncomfortable under our stares, but we could not help it. No one said anything for the longest while. When it was clear no one else was going to make a move, I stepped forward, took Jack by the hand, and led him to the memorial. "Please do." I told him.

"Omi," Kimiko said in an unsure tone.

"This is the time and place to say good-bye," I reminded her. "And Jack Spicer was acquainted with Raimundo, no matter what their relationship was."

"But he's-"

"I'll be quick, I promise." Jack Spicer said. "And the second I'm done, I'll be outta here in a flash, totally wu-less."

Kimiko looked at Clay in question, who shrugged. "I don't see any harm in it, Kimiko."

I stepped away from Jack and motioned for him to speak. He turned to the memorial, glanced over the things laid out of the mat, then stared at his feet. He was silent for a couple moments, then shuffled his feet and spoke. "I know we weren't really friends, but . . . . well, you know, you were evil for a little while and I guess I thought . . . well first of all, lemme just say you had a killer evil laugh going there."

Kimiko moved towards him as if to throw him out for bringing up these painful reminders, but Clay put a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to wait a little while longer. Unfortunately that appeared to be all Spicer had to say after we waited for him to continue. But when Kimiko moved for him again, he whispered just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear "You were lucky."

We all froze. I was most confused. Lucky? How could Raimundo be considered lucky of all things? Jack Spicer gave a humorless chuckle. "I guess I just thought I'd tell you that. I mean, of course you knew, why else would you have opened that puzzle box at last second?"

Then I thought I understood. Jack Spicer was referring to Raimundo's good fortune at realizing he had friends who cared for him before it was too late. This thought ignited another memory; one over fifteen-hundred years old.

_The box will open when the person who needs to most open it opens it. _

I smiled sadly at the memory. I was glad that Dashi had added that little complication. He had given Raimundo a chance to redeem himself. A chance to show the world what was truly resided in his heart. Yes, more than anyone, Raimundo needed to be the one to open the box.

Jack Spicer shuffled his feet again. He seemed to have forgotten that we were there. "Yeah," he said in a rather husky whisper. "You were really lucky."

Then another thought struck me. Jack had no friends unless you included those Jack-bots of his. Could he have actually meant Raimundo was fortunate to just have us? Or perhaps I had missed Jack's point entirely.

Then Jack turned and started out. I patted his arm as he passed, thanking him. Kimiko followed him out, possibly to make sure that he kept his word. Simply because he had been kind enough to pay respects did not mean he was willing to change his ways. I was grateful to him all the same.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Master Fung allowed us the remainder of the day to get some rest, but I could not sleep. I kept seeing the astounded green eyes, the tan fist with the thumb sticking out upward, and the first true smile I had seen him wear in a long time and the last I ever saw. It was all I could think of. If I had not taken my eyes off him, if I had maneuvered through the falling boulders and up the staircase to help him back up to his feet, might things had turned out differently? If only Wuya had not destroyed Jack Spicer's time machine, then we might find out for sure.

I found it strange. The first decade or so of my life, I had gotten along find without my friends, but after they arrived, I could not imagine life being any different. I couldn't see myself constantly training anymore. Certainly, training still gave me pleasure, but when my friends and I bonded, I only then realized how lonely I had been all that time in my short existence. Each companion was most special to me, each loved in a different way. I could not imagine being without Kimiko's protective helping hand, Clay's unwavering streak of patience, or Raimundo's playful sense of humor. Tears once again sprang to my eyes as I remembered I would have to learn to live without the last one. This thought made me frightened as well as sad. It made me much more aware that no one is invulnerable from dying, and it can happen anytime in a lifetime whether we want it to or not. What would I do if Kimiko or Clay or even both was next?

Then another spray of thoughts crossed my mind and I got angry. It wasn't fair. Raimundo was still only a child; it was much too early for death to claim him. And why did Raimundo have to betray us? If he didn't than this certainly never would have happened. How could the death of a traitor of everything we worked for and believed in cause this much pain? Hadn't he already hurt us enough? How could he leave us like this? How could he? For one horrible instant, I hated him so much.

Then the last moment I saw him formed in my head once more and anger and hate was washed away with sorrow and regret. What was I thinking? He did not leave us on purpose. And his final moments were spent repairing his mistake. Besides, didn't he inspire as much joy during the time he was here as he did grief?

I felt most guilty and fearful of these dreadful fleeting thoughts. I sat upright as I remembered the memorial. I could no longer speak to Raimundo's face, but perhaps talking to the memorial would ease my emotions a little. Even if it didn't, it would keep me from thinking things I dare not.

When I stepped from my area and headed to Raimundo's, I stopped halfway in surprise when I looked up. I did not expect that there would already be a light in Raimundo's room. I silently poked my head around the separation wall to see if we had forgotten to put out the candles or if there was already someone there. I saw Kimiko was kneeling in front of the mat, clutching something to her chest, rocking back and forth, head bent. Then she sniffed and I realized she was quietly crying. I did not know if I should leave her to her grieving and come back to do mine another time or allow her to cry upon my torso. Before I could make my decision, Kimiko must have sensed my presence for she looked back at me. Her normally milky complexion was red and wet from tears. She gave me a sad shaky little smile. I went to her and stood by her side. She brought her hands from her chest and showed me a small brown tattered doll I knew was called a 'teddy bear'. She did not need to tell me who it belonged to.

"I found it when we were looking through his stuff." she said softly. "I don't know why I didn't show it to you guys when I did, I guess I just-"

She paused a moment to force her arriving tears back temporarily and did not complete the sentence when she felt right to continue. "I don't know if it's an old baby toy or if it was a memento from a younger brother or sister or if he has- had it to remind him of home or if he slept with it or-"

The tears would no longer wait and her words triggered sobbing. I began to cry as well and threw my arms around her. She did the same and we held each other for a long time, crying over the loss of our friend. We were not surprised when we were joined later by Clay and Dojo. We cried and grieved and exchanged memories of the fallen warrior until slumber claimed us.

In the morning when I awoke, I did not understand at first why I felt so downhearted. Then I saw the memorial and a few tears escaped me. I wiped them away and prayed that some vigorous training would ease the weight in my chest for a little while. I was about to step over Kimiko's sleeping form to leave when I noticed something. The candles were extinguished, not by their own puddles of liquid wax, but snuffed out. But how? I was sure we had all fallen asleep before we remembered to put them out. Perhaps someone woke up, saw the candles were still lit, put them out, and went back to sleep. But then I saw a strip of parchment on the mat that was decorated with dignifiedly written Chinese symbols and I knew who had done it. The symbols read: _Raimundo, Xiaolin Dragon of the Wind. A determined warrior and a true friend._

So, what do you think? Should I continue? Sorry this dragged on a bit, I have a tendency to do that.


	2. Chapter 2

Yes, I know. What the heck took me so long? Aside from the fact that both me and my muse are lazy, despite what TigerOfTheSpear says, this story does not shield against homework. At least, not mine. TO those who reviewed thank you so much for the comments and for asking me to continue. This skips forward about a year ahead of the first chapter. Raimundo is gone, and now Omi has been tricked into siding with Chase Young.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The transformation itself was quick and painless while a most strange sensation did accompany it as it occurred. I of course knew that humans' shapes were quite dissimilar from others, but I had never even imagined how different a new life form's body would feel once inside one. All these new functions and senses that I found frightening had replaced old ones I was quite fond of. My bone structure took a shape that made it impossible for me to walk upright. My tail bone stretched to a tail. A coat of fine golden hair covered my skin. My sight and hearing had become acute. The cat's body was most alien to me after I had only experienced a human's.

I turned to my friends to attempt to say goodbye, but my voice box had changed as well, and only my sorrowful words were changed to an aggravated meow. They flinched and gasped and looked at me in such horror, that I could actually feel their gazes piercing knives into my heart. Couldn't they see that I had to do this? Why could they not solely express sorrow for my fate?

I started toward them; I did not know what I intended to do, but I hoped to see a glimmer of understanding in at least one of them. Dojo, he had to understand the codes of honor of a monk; he had lived at the temple longer than I had. But then why did he look as stricken as Kimiko and Clay?

"As you can see," Chase Young's voice rasped from behind, causing me to stop in my steps. "Omi belongs to me. Now, and Forever." Then he chuckled as he snapped his fingers.

Taking his cue, all the cats began to close in on my friends. I joined them, praying that Dojo would get Kimiko and Clay away from this wretched place before harm came to them. With mournful faces, Kimiko, Clay, and Jack mounted a wounded-looking Dojo ascended into the darkened sky. Chase Young's mean chuckle grew into full-fledged cruel laughter and I felt an abrupt burst of energy from behind me. My head tilted fully back so I could see some of what was happening behind me as well as my friends' departure. A beam of dark light shot up, blasted through the roof of the lair, and sped into the sky. I turned my attention back to my friends. I watched with a heavy heart through the eye of the lair as they disappeared into the misty clouds covering the sky. I knew that the only times I would ever see them again would be in battle; battles I would be expected to fight and win at any cost. Chase Young's laugh echoed throughout the cave and with each cackle my pride took another blow. I was forever a servant of Chase Young. It was all I could do to keep my tears back and hold my head high. Suddenly something wet struck my cheek with such force it startled me out of my sorrow. I looked up at the clouds. It did not appear to be raining. I licked my cheek. Salty. I knew with surprise that it had to be a tear, yet I knew it was not my own and I could not locate the true source.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hills, trees, large rocks, and streams were rushing along underneath me. Or rather, I was rushing over them. I was soaring above the landscape. And I was back in my human form. It was so strange. I knew I must be dreaming, yet I could truly feel the wind in my face and the full structure of my body. I would never again take the original arrangement of my bones for granted after experiencing another.

Then the land fell into an abrupt drop that met with a sandy area. As I approached it, gravity slowly returned to my body and as I pulled myself into an upright position, my feet met with the lush grass covering the top part of the cliff. I then took in the scene before me. The clear blue sky was dotted with birds of vibrant colors. Flourishing vegetation blanketed mountains that towered behind a city made up of structures not quite as impressive and well-designed as the ones in Tokyo, but held a certain majestic air nonetheless. The sunlight glittered as it reflected off the gorgeous blue ocean and the sea's foam-tipped waves slowly skimmed over the sandy white beach strewn with the most unusual looking plants. The bottoms resembled thin snaky tree trunks, but the green leaves they were topped with were like large flat drooping stars. It was a wondrous sight to behold. Somewhere in my amazement, I was grasped with the feeling that it reminded me of something, but I couldn't think of what.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

I started at the voice nearby, not just because I thought I was alone here, but because I knew the voice quite well indeed. I nearly knocked myself off balance at the speed I spun around to find its source. Sure enough, there was Raimundo sitting at the edge of the cliff cross-legged in his usual slouch, gazing upon the magnificent city and the beauty of the ocean before him. It was all I could do not to cry out. I was now certain that this was a dream, but if so I hoped to sleep a hundred years. Raimundo looked away from the breathtaking view to me. He smiled at me and patted the grass beside him. "C'mon. It's a long way from China to here. Get a load off and relax."

I was not sure what load he was referring to, but I went the area his hand had just touched and sat down. Still smiling, he looked back at the view. I took the opportunity to examine his face. He looked exactly as I remembered him, with the same youthful and roguish personality brightening his profile and the energetic spark in his dark green eyes. I didn't know how to react, even knowing this was not real. I wanted so much to embrace him and tell him how greatly he was missed. I had a thousand questions I was desperate to have answers to and could only get from him. But doing either of these things would only confirm the fact that he had been gone and for now I did not want that to be true. And it would also be quite nice to just spend time together. I looked upon the view with him for a little while before trying to create harmless chat-chit. I attempted to think of a subject that would not bring us to dangerous grounds and then remembered what the landscape reminded me of. "Which place is this? Mont Carlo?"

Raimundo's grin grew wider. "Good guess. Mont Carlo's almost as good as Rio, but not quite."

Rio. The city Raimundo spoke so fondly of.

"It is most beautiful. No wonder you missed it so."

Raimundo gave a murmur of appreciation for the comment. Silence followed. It became apparent by Raimundo's expression that simply looking at the scene gave him tremendous pleasure. One of my questions came to mind at this observation. I was hesitant to ask, but saw little harm in it and knew nothing would be accomplished if I kept silent. "Was this your home?"

Raimundo chuckled and shook his head. "No, although sometimes I really wished it was. Rio was just one of the million places we would pass through. I never really had an actual home before the temple. Sure, there could've been a real bed and less chores, but at least I got a chance to get used to the place and stay in one spot. You know, form actual attachment."

"Why could you not do so in Brazil?"

Raimundo smirked. "Well, one of the whole points in being in a traveling circus is kinda to keep traveling."

My eyes widened. I grew most excited at the prospect of learning something of Raimundo's past, even though I did not know exactly what it was. "The traveling part I can understand. But please tell me what this 'circus' is."

Raimundo laughed and my ears were filled with the joyous sound I had so achingly missed over the time gone. He unfolded his legs from underneath him, stretched them out in front of him, then let his shins and feet dangle off the edge of the cliff. Then he turned to me, lay on his side, and leaned on his elbow. He then explained to me about large festive gatherings and both animals and people who were skilled in the art of performing jokes, difficult tasks, and astounding feats would display their talents for others who would watch while emitting cheers, gasps, and screams of laughter. I was enjoying his company and fascinating tales of this splendid moving event so much, I completely forgot that this was a dream and while what he was telling me was certainly a possibility, there was little chance that this was the actual background of the real Raimundo.

Once I had recovered from laughter after hearing a humorous trick of how clowns would place one hundred set mousetraps on the ground, take off their shoes, tied on blindfolds, and walked across them singing opera and attempting to throw them at one another, I noticed Raimundo was now looking at me with an emotion I could not place, but it made me most uncomfortable. I squirmed under his gaze and tried to break the sense of discomfort. "Are there any other stories that would be entertaining to hear?"

Raimundo raised an eyebrow and his fingers drummed the ground. "Yeah, but enough about me goin' on about the past. Why not tell me what's been going on with you, Kimiko, and Clay lately?"

I turned to the city for I could no longer look at him. Everything that had happened today flooded my mind. How could I tell him that I had become a villain? How could I even begin to explain to him why? Raimundo was a great warrior, yes. But I do not think he ever really understood the meaning of being a xiaolin monk. He never agreed with the ways of the temple; he would voice his negative opinions of them freely, but he almost always followed them respectfully. Until the time of Mala Mala Jong. Not a day passes that I don't wish with all my heart that I had won that xiaolin showdown against Jack Spicer for the Heart of Jong; perhaps then Raimundo's chaotic feelings never would have risen against the temple.

Not wishing to bring up discomforting memories and explanations I was not certain I could drive into such a shut mind, I attempted to change the subject. "Oh, actually nothing of great importance has occurred recently. Has anything with you?" I blushed as my last remark left my mouth. How could anything have happened to him? I momentarily forgot that he was . . . .

Raimundo snorted. "If today was nothing special, I don't even want to think about what a hard day for you guys must be like."

I froze. No. He could not possibly know. "I do not know what you mean." I replied, upset that my voice had a slight tremor to it.

"Really? So the name Chase Young doesn't do anything for you?"

I did not know how Raimundo knew about Chase Young, but just hearing him say his name brought tension into each of my muscles. Raimundo noticed.

"It is Chase Young, right? He's the new stronger and smarter Jack Spicer? Prince of evil and darkness and all that, totally bent on world domination? I heard that you're his newest jackbot model."

"It is not like that."

"Then how is it?"

For a moment I was not quite certain how to answer him. Aside from both being Heylin, I never saw similarity between Jack Spicer and Chase Young. But the way Raimundo described them; it was almost as though they were the same person.

"Chase Young does not pursue shen-gong-wu. And he is a much more honorable opponent than Jack-"

"Give me a break, Omi." The disgust in his voice was anything but subtle. "There's no such thing as an honorable villain. You should know that better than anyone."

His words produced a stunned and stinging sensation as if he had struck me. No. No, Chase Young was nothing like Wuya and Jack, he was- but as I searched for events and describing words of Chase Young to disprove Raimundo's last statement, my mind simply drew a blank. Before today I would have claimed that there was still some good and honor in Chase Young, but now that I could see his favors and advice to me had formed a path on my life's maze that led me straight to where I was now. Serving at his side.

Apparently Raimundo took my stunned silence as stubborn withdrawal of the conversation he was leading. "Oh, so you're just gonna clam up? What, can't handle the truth about you and your role model? C'mon, about a year ago you hardly actually understood what bad and evil was. Now you're pretty much its representative?"

These words produced a surge of anger that pulsed through my veins. "You make it sound as if this was my choice." I muttered through clenched teeth as Chase Young's words echoed in my mind. "I belong to Chase Young now. And-"

"Bullshit." I looked at Raimundo. I did not know what this new slang term meant, but I took from Raimundo's angry expression that it was not good. "There's always a choice. You don't belong to anyone but yourself."

I hung my head and clenched my hands into fists. It frustrated me how easily he could think of honorable pledges as simple words instead of binding chains. "Apparently you do not know as much as you think you do. It is much more complex than that."

"Okay, so then spell it out for me."

'Spell it out?' This caught me off guard enough for me to look back at him. How was I supposed to explain my feelings and an event with a small arrangement of letters? My confusion must have shown clearly on my face for his expression and tone softened a little and the corners of his mouth twitched. "Make me understand."

I hesitated. Then I remembered the horrified looks on my friends' faces and how I hoped to ease them before they left. I never got the chance; I did not even get to bid them farewell. I glanced up at Raimundo. Having calmed a bit, he seemed more patient for my reply and he honestly seemed willing and intent to hear my explanation as well as grasping the nature of my sins. Perhaps if I could make Raimundo see my reasons, then the next time I met my friends in eventual forced combat I could somehow do the same to them. It was valued a bullet.

"How much do you know exactly?"

He shrugged. "Not that much actually. I know about Chase Young; how he's powerful, a great fighter, suave and conceited as can be, but in reality is one ugly overgrown lizard and has a fetish for jungle cats."

"A fetish?"

Raimundo ignored my question. "I know that he tricked you to take out your good chi and promise you'd always work for him, and then when Kimiko and Clay got you to think clearly again, you wouldn't go with them because you wanted to keep your promise to a villain."

"I did not _wish _to keep a promise to a villain. I take my word as a xiaolin monk most seriously. Honor is what separates us from evil."

"Uh-huh." He crossed his arms and stared at me in the most incredulous way. Then he features softened to something similar to pitying. "Oh boy, I didn't want it to have to come down to this. Geez, how do I say this? Um, Omi . . . ." He trailed off for a moment before continuing. "What exactly do you think you are now?"

His question confused me. "I fail to understand."

He inhaled, a hint of dread creeping into his expression. "Even though you're working for Chase Young now, do you still call yourself a xiaolin monk?"

Yet another unforeseen verbal strike; so severe and vigorous, my involuntary body functions momentarily froze. After a fearful moment when I found my breath and my heart shakily began its pace once more, my skin felt chilled as if touched by frigid water and I summoned my strength to reply.

"What?" I knew on some level what he was speaking of, but a part of my mind and heart had difficulty taking this unthinkable theory in.

"Omi, I'm sorry, but c'mon, think here. Was I still considered a monk after I went bad?"

I could not manage to work my jaw, my tongue felt like a clump of soggy cereal, the nooks of my mouth were as dry as parchment, and my voice ended at a discomforted grunt. Raimundo winced as my troubled silent state became apparent, but continued when I did not reply. "I mean, you just said, honor is what separates you from evil. Technically, isn't that kind of what you are now? Evil?"

I forced myself to speak. "The servants of Chase Young may take on the appearance of large felines and carry out his demands, but that does not change what they once were. I am a xiaolin monk-"

"You're a xiaolin warrior." Raimundo interrupted. He had a pained expression on his face as though he could almost understand how much distress his words were causing me. "A xiaolin monk would refer to what's in your heart or soul or whatever and what you believe, not your physical abilities, strengths, and techniques. Chase only wants you and the other slaves for the things you can do, he couldn't care less about what you believe and think. He's smart enough to learn about what you care about and how to make them work against you, but once he has you, he's going to pound out any free thinking, willpower, and spirit you've got until all you know is what you're told and the things you do. Omi, have even one of the other jungle cats spoken to you or anything? Any welcomes or sympathies or anything? Why do you think Jack uses robots to do his dirty work? They don't question, they don't think for themselves, they don't have feelings or morals, they don't say no, they're easily expendable, they do any thing they're told; except for the fact that they're all breakable as glass to us, they're a perfect army."

He paused for a moment to check my reaction to his words. I could give none. I could not look him in the eye. My body was so cold and rigid I could not move. I wished desperately for his to stop, yet a part of me wanted him to continue. After a moment, he did.

"Even if you try to keep you beliefs, if you let them interfere with Chase's requests, you're in for some big trouble. Your conscience is going to get in the way of what he wants you to do, and after some time you're going to swallow up anything he says even if part of you knows it's not true just so you can sleep at night. You're going to spend so long under his thumb that you're going to forget or reject anything moral or personal you ever were or were taught and become this hollow fighting machine. Like I said, the newest Jack-bot model."

I felt the possible truth in his words sting me sharply and bring tears surging to my eyes. I fought them down, hoping foolishly I could somehow twist everything he said to mean the opposite. I wrenched open my mouth, but my voice still failed to operate. As I took a deep breath in hopes in would ease my tension, Raimundo asked "Omi, do you know what a loophole is?"

This sudden topic change hurled me on and some of my distraught feelings were replaced confused and curious ones. I looked quizzically at Raimundo. Since my mouth was already open, the first possibility on my brain came out. "A hole that is shaped like a loop?"

Raimundo's face relaxed and he grinned. "Uh, actually it's a term for a way of bending the rules around something, like a deal."

"Bending the rules?"

"Um, it's kinda like breaking rules except you're not really breaking them. It's a play on words, you can twist them a certain way so that you can do or don't have to do something. See, as a xiaolin monk, you're bound by your word. But if you're not a monk, then . . . ."

I could see now why Raimundo was so persistent to convince me that I was no longer a part of the temple. A chill ran through my skin and I struggled to suppress the rising tears and to keep my voice flat. "No."

"Omi, look-"

"Your theory is incorrect. I am, and always will be a xiaolin monk. This is something I cannot discard as easily as a piece of litter. It is my destiny, my herita-"

"Yeah, by 'can't' do you think you might mean 'won't'? Are you seriously telling me you'd actually prefer to stay with Chase and do his dirty work than give up a title and place you can't even use anymore? Geez, how many options do you think you've got here? Would you rather be a villainous henchman pretending you've still got something to hang onto, or someone who admits to hitting rock bottom and is ready and willing to make the climb up? C'mon, in most cases you're always the first back on your feet and rarin' to get in the game. And now you're just gonna throw in the towel because-"

"Raimundo, please stop talking. Perhaps it is simply a name to you, but it is much more to me." I had been a xiaolin monk since the day I was born and my focused goal in life was always to become better than I was. It was a large aspect of my identity and without it . . . . I wasn't quite sure.

"Listen, I'm not talking permanent here. Once you bring down Chase, you're free to become a xiaolin monk again."

My barriers of strength dissolved and tears burst through. My voice was wracked with sobs. "Raimundo, I have always been a xiaolin monk, as I have always been a human being."

A corner of Raimundo's twitched nervously upward. "Well, technically, you're not even that anymo-"

My voice rang out in a soppy mangled cry. I could no longer speak. I lunged for Raimundo and buried my face in his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears. I felt his arms wrap around me, rubbing the back of my neck and pulling our bodies into a more upright comfortable position. "Hey, hey," he said softly, his tone now completely sympathetic. "Omi, I'm so sorry. That was way outta line. Listen, I can't even imagine what you're feeling now, and I know that what I'm asking must seem like asking you to give up air or something like that; it's a way you've always lived. But if you stay with Chase, you're going to be doing things that you're always gonna regret. Chase is gonna have you destroy everything and everyone you've ever cared about and fought to protect. You'd be living the rest of your days in depression and guilt. Omi," Something in his voice brought me to look up at him. He smiled hopefully, his eyes concerned and sorrowful, feelings I had never seen in him before. "I'm giving you a chance here, buddy. To get off here scot-free, with a clear conscience. Trust me," he went on, his smile vanishing and shadows filling his eyes. "Even when you think or know what you're in for in situations like these . . . ."

His eyes never left mine, but they didn't appear to see me any longer. As he continued to speak, I knew that they were watching something else that took place a long time ago. It was foolish of me to only realize now that Raimundo could relate to my dilemma. My tears lessened as I took in that this was no longer only about me. "You don't feel it until it's time. That crucial moment and you're standing in the wrong spot. Something in you freezes. And for a second you stop feeling anything. You wonder if anything you think or want or need is actually worth what you did with your bare hands. If you can be happy the rest of your life with this iron hole eating you from the inside. Do you even deserve to be breathing . . . while the ones who do deserve life more than anyone, but would give it up in a second for what they know is right, disappear right in front of you. And suddenly nothing matters . . . . except finding a way to turn back the clock."

For a long while we are both silent. I watch as the shadows dance across Raimundo's green eyes, darkened by the past. Finally the shadows leave. Light returns to Raimundo's radiant eyes and he takes on the look of one who has awakened from a horrible nightmare. He smiles again. "I never would've had that chance if it wasn't for you. You saved me."

"No Raimundo. I merely provided you with the tool you needed to show the world light. You could have stood by and watched, forever shrouded and ensnared in the darkness, but you and your good heart made the choice use it, to return and admit your mistake. It must have taken great courage, but you did it, and no one could have made that choice but you."

Raimundo's face broke into an excited grin. "There! Exactly! You just said it!"

"I said what?"

Raimundo continued to grin at me and then our original topic came falling back on top of me. I too, was standing where I did not belong. If I stayed, I would live a long life physically while carrying my soul, dead and limp inside me. I would be forced to make horrific decisions throughout that time, and I would always choose wrong. Raimundo was offering me a way to escape that. He had given me everything he could provide to save me, but now it was up to me to take it. If I left, that would mean admitting that I was no longer a monk and if Raimundo's theory was incorrect, I would be marked a traitor, dishonored and untrustworthy. I would be on my own, I could not return to the temple if I was no longer a monk. I would never see my home or family again. Of course, if I stayed, I may only assist in destroying it and them, as well as other things I did not wish to think about. I left I would throw away everything I had worked for and struggled to become. These ideas frightened me, but not as much as much as the image of what I may most likely become if I remained with Chase Young. For awhile, if I stayed, I might be able to keep my sense of who I am, but how long would that last? I thought of my friends. I thought of how their lives must have been before the temple. Despite the lack of xiaolin dragon titles, they were still good people. I thought of Jermaine, my friend in New York. He risked getting hurt to help me, without even knowing who I was. He was not a monk then, and still did great things. Perhaps it did not matter what or who I was, if I strived to cleanse what evil I saw, I may still be destined to be great and to be loved. Perhaps it was not the future I had planned, but by now I had learned things rarely happen as we wish them to. I might be a traitor, but there was always the possible chance of redemption.

I looked at Raimundo, shrugged, and tried a curious smile. "Perhaps on the rare occasion, it is necessary when we must do the wrong thing to be right rather than to do the right thing to wrong."

Raimundo whooped and pulled me into an embrace. "Good for you, Omi!"

"Did that even make sense?"

"About as much as Master Fung's proverbs, but I got what you meant."

I thought for a moment. I no longer knew what I would be doing or where I would be going or how I could possibly hope to accomplish my goal of defeating Chase Young, but I knew I would continue to fight for what I knew was good. I was mournful of losing my place, but understood that it was for the best. Still, I was troubled. I glanced shyly up at Raimundo and whispered "If I am not a xiaolin monk, than what am I?"

"You're Omi." Raimundo answered matter-of-factly. "You always will be, no one can take that away from you. You're nothing more or less and no one expects you to be anything other than that."

"Please tell me, when did you become so wise?"

He laughed. "You'd be surprised how much time I've had to think about this."

I was about to ask him what he meant, when suddenly I noticed that my eyes were level with Raimundo's. Perplexed, I looked down and saw that I was gently rising up from the ground. I grasped tighter to Raimundo to halt my assent and looked at him in uneasy surprise. "What is happening?"

To my amazement and discomfort, Raimundo's eyes began to glisten as if wet. He attempted to give me one of his familiar confident smiles, but it came out shaky and saddened. "Must be wake-up time."

At first I did not understand what he was talking about. Then cold realization struck me. This was nothing more than a most realistic, wonderful dream. Tears once again sprung to my eyes. "No, please. I do not wish to lose you again."

Raimundo gave a quivering chuckle. "Well, I don't want to lose you again either, Omi, but this is just something we don't have control over."

That's when I noticed his feet had left the earth as well. Except we were not simply traveling upward. An invisible force was attempting to pull me toward the route I had come and I sensed Raimundo was being tugged in the opposite direction, towards the city. With all my strength, I wrenched Raimundo closer to me, wrapped my arms around his torso until my fingers were locked across his lower back, and held him as tightly as I could. I was not about to let him go again. The fight against evil had become much harder to bear without his playful and joyous manner to spread about and lighten the negative emotions weighing us down.

"There must be some way to stop this!"

Raimundo chuckled. "Yeah, while we're at it, why don't we see if we can keep the sun in place? Really, don't you think that it's amazing that we got to meet again at all? Look, I know this is gonna sound ridiculous coming from me and don't follow this for your Chase Young problem, but sometimes you just have to accept things the way they are."

"You are correct. That is most ridiculous coming from you. Raimundo, we can fight!"

"Right now, save your strength for the fights you've got a shot at winning. I just- I . . . . . I can't go back. Omi, please, this is just the way things are supposed to be."

"You are still young! You are not nearly old enough to be condemned to this fate! You are not to be responsible for that terrible tragedy!"

"Neither are you."

This reply threw me off balance. Raimundo's face was abruptly sober.

"What happened to me wasn't your fault."

I was taken most aback. How could he have read my mind on that matter?"

"I'm totally serious. Even if you had known what was coming, there was nothing you could've done to stop it. And . . . ." He paused, smiled, and shrugged. "Thanks a lot for everything you did for me. Please tell the same to Kimiko, Clay, Dojo, and Master Fung when you finally go back."

When I finally returned. How long would that be? On this journey I was about to take, I would not only be without Raimundo, but without Kimiko, Clay, Dojo, and Master Fung. I would not face them as a villain, nor as a xiaolin monk. Only once I had rightfully earned my place back by somehow defeating Chase Young would I be able to see them again. It would take a long time before I would be prepared for that battle, and throughout all that time, I would be alone. Sorrow and fear flowed from this thought to my eyes.

"Hey, don't cry. Omi, I know this is hard for now, but it's really not as bad as you think."

An odd thought struck me. I recalled after Raimundo's death, Kimiko and Clay told me of a wondrous place that people's spirits remained afterwards and would always be happy. Was this that place?

"Raimundo, is this your heaven?"

My friend looked genuinely surprised by my question. He opened his mouth, then closed it, his face thoughtful. He looked over at Rio, then back at me, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You know, maybe it is."

Though I was confused by his hesitation, I relaxed as I knew he would remain somewhere where he was safe and happy.

Then he smiled, tears emerging from the corners of his eyes and being whisked away by the wind. He grasped my arms and squeezed me to his chest. "Man, am I gonna miss you."

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Raimundo gently pried my fingers away, spread out my arms, and pushed me away.

"RAIMUNDOOOOO!" I screamed, flailing wildly in all directions in vain hopes of grasping my friend, who was already speeding away as quickly as I was. Tears blurred my vision and my violent movements caused the rest of my body to spin rapidly out of control. Suddenly I was overtaken by the sensation of falling and everything went dark and then quite bright. I was aware I felt hard rough ground beneath me. My head shot up and my eyelids burst open through the seal of tears. Sleeping cat outlines filled my vision. My shape returned to feline or perhaps it had never changed at all. My furry head sank back to the ground as realization flooded me; becoming Chase Young's servant was no dream, but Raimundo alive and well was. I was here and he was not. While I was surrounded with company, I was alone once again mourning the loss of my dear friend. I buried my face into my paws, determined to keep my cries silent. My sobs ceased, but I could not stop the steady flow of tears until sunrise.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hence the title. This is about all I've got planned out so from here it might get a bit random. I have a basic idea though. The trick Omi describes with the mousetraps, blindfolds, and clowns I actually saw, except it was an improv group. Hilarious. I was impressed that they could do it without swearing.

_Please insert your two cents in the light purple square below. _


End file.
